Chronic axillary wounds in cats: what do we know and how should we manage them?

Axillary wounds most often occur in outdoor cats that wear a collar, typically after having been missing. These wounds are commonly chronic and indolent in nature, and although there is so far no consensus on an explanation for this, it is likely that there are several factors involved.

Axillary wounds are often difficult to manage due to the frequent presence of infection, their histopathological characteristics and their location, where there is excessive tension and movement of the axillary tissues. Initial surgical treatment has a high reported incidence of failure and complications in the literature, with wound breakdown reported most commonly. Giving due consideration to the difficulties of managing these wounds, however, will help practitioners to decrease the occurrence of complications and the need for multiple procedures, and therefore improve the outcome.

Initial approach and surgical management can be achieved using standard medical equipment and surgical kit available to general practitioners.

This review discusses the surgical techniques reported in the literature to have successfully treated chronic axillary wounds and recommendations are also provided based on the authors' clinical experience.